Impression roller drive



3 Sheets-Sheetl v INVENTOR. bzz/Qfd ATTORNEYS',

E. F. DUDLEY IMPRESSION ROLLER DRIVE Filed NOV. 1T, 1938 March 26, 1940.

s sheets-sheet *2 E. F. DUDLEY Filed Nov. 1.7.' 1958 IMPRESSION ROLLER DRIVE Much zs,A l1940.

Marh 26, 1940. Y* E, F, DUDLEY 2,195,243

IMPRESSION ROLLER DRIVE Filed Nov. 1*?, 193e s sheets-sheet s I N VENT OR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 26,k 1940 y i y omiso f Y l 2,195,243 j IMPRESSIUN ROLLER DRIVE'L 7 Edward'gF. Dudley, Oak Park, Ill., assigner to Y Miehle Printingl Press & Manufacturing Comv vpany,. Chicago, Ill .,'a corporation of, Illinois l a This invention pertains to an improvement vin iving mechanisms 'such'as `are usedmore parularly on presses-of the power plate type which `xt from engraved plates.

Y.n order to assure the required pressure for cducing. a satisfactory impression from v'such ttes, it has been common practice heretofore o provide an impression or D-roller, whichcar- Aies an impression blanket, and a second impression roller of greater diameter than said Dlroller .nd having a'pl'ain surface, serving as 'aconter nember during the printing,01:ie`ra't'ion.l

The impressional forces necessary for printing aper currency, bonds and the like from engraved l @lates exceed those required in 'regular gravure :iinting, and the speed at which the vimpressions 1re pulled is comparatively slow. It is evident, erefore, that the printing members, 'such 'as the .ooperating impression rollers, ere subject to considerable stressesand iifear.l l v v In power plate presses of a well-known type, the planks which carry the printing plates are supported ontracks and by means of a chain drive they are drawn over said tracks tothe various stations where they are being 'inked in,

` wiped and printed from.

It has beenfoun'd that due to the 4excessive pressure required asv explained above, and due to the constant pull applied to the planks by the chain drive at the` timewhen said planks are being. drawnbetween the D-roll'e'rand its 'cooperating impression roller for effecting an i-r'npression, the latter roller-isurged forward somewhat faster under the action of the plank than its gear would' actually drive it. In other words, the driving gear on said roller is being advanced,

' but only solar as its backlash will permit, resulting in a slight slippage and eventual unequal wear vof the `roller surface. n

One of the principal objects of my invention therefore is to provide an improved roller drive whereby the above referred tocondition shall be eliminated. j Another :object resides in the provision of means which shall permit rotation of the impression roller independent of its driving means.

' Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims readin conjunction with the ac` c-ompanying drawings, in which:

f Figure 1` is a side elevation seen from the drive side of Athat part of a power plate press which includes the impression rollers `and drive therefor; y

Figure 2 is a iront elevation of the same part Applicants November 17, 193s, serial 16.240,919 s claims. (C1. 10i- 268) but viewedY from the left of Figure 1, and showing the gearl side of said part 'to theleit; Aand Figure l3 representsdiagram'r'natically'- they means whereby the printing plate carrying planks l 'are advanced and drawn betwe'enfthe impression i? rollers. l I i According tothe preferred embodiment illus'- trat'ed by' way' of'example, the D-roller IIJ' and the large impression roller 'll are mountedfih upright `frame sections I2 and'-y 113 provided in 1@ any suitable manner on the press frame I4;- rIlhe drive'shaft l5 has keyed to its inner end a pinion i6 which Yrnesheslwitli the 'rollergear Il 'mounted free for rotatien o'nthe journal 'i8 ofthe' roller ,u li so that the latter may be rotated i'ndepen'd-V ently of the gear Il. To the endfoff said journal is keyed a ratchet I9 yand the driving'y gear Il carriesa spring actuated-'pawl v2l) which engages the teeth of said ratchet. With this arrangement it will be seen that if the vroller IlA is urged forward somewhat 'faster under the action of the plank zl'than the gear Il would normally drive it, then the ratchet I9 will advance perhaps one toc-'th each time a plank 2l? passes over it, consequently the roller Il will gradually advance dl'ir-k 25 ing the 'operatior-iv of the press andthewear Will become' distributed over the entire circumference of the? roller; f I

The D-roller I`0 may be driven from Vthe gear n through the intermediary of pimms zzrand #0i 23 and the roller gear 2'4.` l l -As is usual in printing presses of this type, Ithe journal bearings 2li and 26 of the D-roller Ill and roller il respectively, vare slidably supported'within slots Zland 28 formed 'in the uprights-'I'Z and .35

l?,` and are held against resilient means such as coil springs 29 so-that the rollers'can be adjusted vertically relative to each other and to the planks 2l in a manner Well-known in the art. v 40 Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, I have indicated merely diagrammatically the preferred means whereby the planks 2| with [the printing plates 30 are advanced over their tracks 3i and between the two impression rollers l0 and 45 Il. `For that purpose I provide an endless chain 32 which carries at intervals studs 33 which engage within recesses 34 located in the center of the bottom face of each plank 2l. yThe chain 32 is preferably driven 'from a vmain drive gear 50 35 which' meshes with a pinion 36 mounted'at the end of a shaft tl suitably sup-ported in bearings 38. The upper end of the shaft 31 carries a sprocket 39 which engages the chain 32 that is maintained taut atall times in ord'er to elimi- 55 nate any backlash and to assure a smooth advance of the planks 2|. with 1an annular recess 40 in order to accommodate the traveling chain 32 and studs 33 as they pass y,over said roller.

It will be understood that while I have illustrated one preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire to cover anysuch modifications that will come Within the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A printingv press of the class set forth,`

having in combination, a pair of impression rollers, a printing plate supporting plank, arranged to be drawn between said rollers, driving means for said rollers vand plank, and one` Way clutch means associated with the driving means of one of said rollers to permit movement of the latter independent of the driving means for the purpose of eliminating unequal Wear of the surface of said latter roller.

2,. A printing press of the class set forth, having in combination, a pair of impression rollers, a printing plate supporting plank, arranged to be drawn between said rollers, driving means for said plank, driving means for-said rollers comprising a train of gears, and one way clutch means associated with one gear to permit movement `of one of said rollers independent of the rotation of` said gear for the purpose of eliminatingV unequal wear of the surface of said latter roller.

3. A printing press of the class set forth, hav. ing in combination, an upper impression roller and a lower impression roller, a printing plate supporting plank, arranged to be drawn between said rollers, driving means for said rollers and plank, and one Way clutch means associated with the driving means of said lower impression roller to permit movement of the latter independent of the driving means for the purpose of eliminating unequal wear of the surface of said lower impression pressure.

4. A printing press of theclass set forth, havi ing incombination, a pair of impression rollers,

a printing plate supporting plank, arranged to be drawn between-said rollers, driving means `for said rollers and plank, and a ratchet and pawl devicev associated with the `driving means of one of said rollers to permit movement of the latter independent of the driving means for the purpose of'feliminating unequal lwear of the surface of said latter roller.

5. A printing press of the class set forth, having in combination, an upper impression roller and a lower impression roller, a printing `plate The roller Il is formed .a lower impression roller, a support for a printin supporting plank, arranged to be drawn between said rollers, driving means for said plank, driving means for said rollers comprising a train of gears, and a ratchet and pawl device associated with the driving gear `of said lower impression roller 5 to permit movement of the latter roller independent of the rotation of said gear for the purpose of eliminating unequal wear of the surface of said lower impression roller. i 1

r6. A printing press of the class set forth, havl0 ing in combination, an upper impression roller', a lower impression roller, a support for a printing plank, means for moving a plank over said support, and driving means for said rollers including one wayy clutch means associated with said lower impression roller to permit movement of said roller independentA of its driving means for the purpose of eliminating unequal wear of the sur-31,- face of said latter roller.

7. A printing press of the class set forth, hav ing in combination, an upper impression roller',

plank, means forimoving a plank over said sup.,y port, and driving means for said rollersincluding a` ratchet and pawl device associated with said l` lower `impression roller to permit movement'ofsaid roller independent of its driving means for 1 the purpose of eliminating unequal wear of thek surface of said latter roller.

8. A printing press of the class set forth, hav ing in combination, a pair of impression rollers, a printing plate supporting plank, arranged tov be drawn between said rollers, driving means for? said rollers and plank, a gear mounted for rotation on the shaft of one of said rollers, a ratchet mechanism` associated with said gear to provide a positive drive for said roller in one direction andpermit movement of said roller in advance of said gear in the same direction for the purpose of eliminating unequal wear of the surface of said latter roller.

9. A printing press of the class set forth, having in combination, an upper impression roller and a lowerimpression roller, a printing plate supporting plank, arranged to be drawn between said rollers, driving means for said rollers and plank, a `gear mounted for rotation on the shaft of said lower impression roller,'a ratchet mechanism associated with said gear to provide a positive drive'for said roller in one direction and permit movement of said roller in advance of said gear in the same direction for the purpose of eliminating unequal wear of `the surface of said latter roller.

EDWARD F. DUDLEY.

` CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,195,215. j March 26, 19LLO.

' EDwARD F. DUDLEY. l

I-t is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as'follows: Page 2, first column, line )i5 olaim, for the word "pressure" read -roller; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may `conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Office;

Signed and sealed this lLLthy day of May, A. DQ 19h01.

A Y Henry Van Arsdale, Seal) 4 Acting Corrimiseioner of Patents. 

